Strategies to Improve Participation of Older Adults in Cancer Research

Cancer is a disease associated with aging. As the US population ages, the number of older adults with cancer is projected to dramatically increase. Despite this, older adults remain vastly underrepresented in research that sets the standards for cancer treatments and, consequently, clinicians strugg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2020-05, Vol.9 (5), p.1571
Main Authors: Liu, Jennifer, Gutierrez, Eutiquio, Tiwari, Abhay, Padam, Simran, Li, Daneng, Dale, William, Pal, Sumanta K, Stewart, Daphne, Subbiah, Shanmugga, Bosserman, Linda D, Presant, Cary, Phillips, Tanyanika, Yap, Kelly, Hill, Addie, Bhatt, Geetika, Yeon, Christina, Cianfrocca, Mary, Yuan, Yuan, Mortimer, Joanne, Sedrak, Mina S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Cancer research
Cancer therapies
Clinical medicine
Clinical trials
Collaboration
Design
Geriatrics
Medical research
Older people
Oncology
Participation
Patients
Quality of life
Review
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Summary:Cancer is a disease associated with aging. As the US population ages, the number of older adults with cancer is projected to dramatically increase. Despite this, older adults remain vastly underrepresented in research that sets the standards for cancer treatments and, consequently, clinicians struggle with how to interpret data from clinical trials and apply them to older adults in practice. A combination of system, clinician, and patient barriers bar opportunities for trial participation for many older patients, and strategies are needed to address these barriers at multiple fronts, five of which are offered here. This review highlights the need to (1) broaden eligibility criteria, (2) measure relevant end points, (3) expand standard trial designs, (4) increase resources (e.g., institutional support, interdisciplinary care, and telehealth), and (5) develop targeted interventions (e.g., behavioral interventions to promote patient enrollment). Implementing these solutions requires a substantial investment in engaging and collaborating with community-based practices, where the majority of older patients with cancer receive their care. Multifaceted strategies are needed to ensure that older patients with cancer, across diverse healthcare settings, receive the highest-quality, evidence-based care.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm9051571